Reflections on the COAR Annual Conference 2025: Balancing Openness and Sustainability

Having recently attended the COAR Annual Conference 2025 in Tokyo, I've returned with a renewed perspective on the evolving landscape of open repositories. The event provided a platform for vibrant discussions and thought-provoking presentations, especially around the integration of AI technologies and their implications for data availability.

Managing AI Traffic in Open Infrastructures

One of the standout themes was the challenge posed by AI bots attempting to scrape data from scholarly communication infrastructures like La Referencia, Software Heritage, CORE-UK, OpenAIRE Graph, and various institautional repositories. These entities all experience significant traffic volumes. The central question/ challenge remains: how can we maintain the openness of our services, while mitigating against "unpleasant" traffic that disrupts availability? Striking this balance is crucial to preserving the integrity and accessibility of all open infrastructures.

AI for Content Discovery

The role of AI in enhancing content discovery was another key focus, which holds significant relevance for OpenAIRE. The potential for research and experimental collaborations with COAR opens exciting possibilities for advancing these technologies, a promising step toward harnessing AI for more effective content exploration and user engagement.

Public PID Infrastructures: A Community Priority

Another significant discourse centered on the need for reliable, open, and public PID (Persistent Identifiers) infrastructures as alternatives to commercial systems like DOI. This transition is seen as vital for ensuring the long-term sustainability and independence of scholarly communication and repository networks.

Engagement and Opportunities

During the conference, I presented on the National Open Science Monitor, which sparked substantial interest and initiated numerous valuable contacts with colleagues from Japan, India, and France. These interactions highlight the global interest in open science and the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving broader accessibility and insight across nation states.

Conclusion

The COAR Annual Conference served to underscore the dual necessity of embracing innovation within our own systems, while at the same time ensuring they remain resilient and open for genuine scientific engagement. It's a challenging, but essential endeavor as all of us in the OS field continue to expand the reach and impact of our open science initiatives.